diff --git src/wp-includes/js/wp-api.js src/wp-includes/js/wp-api.js
index 634db4357e..c8caf50681 100644
--- src/wp-includes/js/wp-api.js
+++ src/wp-includes/js/wp-api.js
@@ -33,6 +33,33 @@
 	wp.api.utils = wp.api.utils || {};
 
 	/**
+	 * Determine model based on API route.
+	 *
+	 * @param {string} route    The API route.
+	 *
+	 * @return {Backbone Model} The model found at given route. Undefined if not found.
+	 */
+	wp.api.getModelByRoute = function( route ) {
+		return _.find( wp.api.models, function( model ) {
+			return model.prototype.route && route === model.prototype.route.index;
+		} );
+	};
+
+	/**
+	 * Determine collection based on API route.
+	 *
+	 * @param {string} route    The API route.
+	 *
+	 * @return {Backbone Model} The collection found at given route. Undefined if not found.
+	 */
+	wp.api.getCollectionByRoute = function( route ) {
+		return _.find( wp.api.collections, function( collection ) {
+			return collection.prototype.route && route === collection.prototype.route.index;
+		} );
+	};
+
+
+	/**
 	 * ECMAScript 5 shim, adapted from MDN.
 	 * @link https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date/toISOString
 	 */
diff --git tests/qunit/wp-includes/js/wp-api.js tests/qunit/wp-includes/js/wp-api.js
index a64e406a49..e904ccaec8 100644
--- tests/qunit/wp-includes/js/wp-api.js
+++ tests/qunit/wp-includes/js/wp-api.js
@@ -194,6 +194,86 @@
 		} );
 	} );
 
+	// Find models by route.
+	var modelsToFetchByRoute = [
+		'Category',
+		'Comment',
+		'Media',
+		'Page',
+		'PageRevision',
+		'Post',
+		'PostRevision',
+		'Status',
+		'Tag',
+		'Taxonomy',
+		'Type',
+		'User'
+	];
+
+	_.each( modelsToFetchByRoute, function( model ) {
+		QUnit.test( 'Test fetching ' + model + ' by route.', function( assert ) {
+
+			var done = assert.async();
+
+			assert.expect( 1 );
+
+			wp.api.loadPromise.done( function() {
+
+				var theModel = wp.api.models[ model ];
+				var route = theModel.prototype.route.index;
+
+				assert.equal(
+					wp.api.getModelByRoute( route ),
+					theModel,
+					'wp.api.models.' + model + ' found at route ' + route
+				);
+
+				// Trigger Qunit async completion.
+				done();
+			} );
+		} );
+	} );
+
+	// Find collections by route.
+	var collectionsToFetchByRoute = [
+		'Categories',
+		'Comments',
+		'Media',
+		'PageRevisions',
+		'Pages',
+		'PostRevisions',
+		'Posts',
+		'Statuses',
+		'Tags',
+		'Taxonomies',
+		'Types',
+		'Users'
+	];
+
+	_.each( collectionsToFetchByRoute, function( collection ) {
+		QUnit.test( 'Test fetching ' + collection + ' by route.', function( assert ) {
+
+			var done = assert.async();
+
+			assert.expect( 1 );
+
+			wp.api.loadPromise.done( function() {
+
+				var theCollection = wp.api.collections[ collection ];
+				var route = theCollection.prototype.route.index;
+
+				assert.equal(
+					wp.api.getCollectionByRoute( route ),
+					theCollection,
+					'wp.api.collections.' + collection + ' found at ' + route
+				);
+
+				// Trigger Qunit async completion.
+				done();
+			} );
+		} );
+	} );
+
 	// Test the jswidget custom namespace and endpoints.
 	wp.api.init( {
 		'versionString': 'js-widgets/v1/'